Tour Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman's Colorful Hollywood Hideaway

Were it not for his wife, Nick Offerman's home wouldn't look anything like this. “I basically have terrible taste,” says the actor, known for his hilariously deadpan seven-year run as scotch-and-steak-loving Ron Swanson on NBC's Parks and Recreation. “If I had to do a house, it would be all wood and dogs and the skeletons of the animals that I just carved up to put on the barbecue. And I understand that's not appropriate.

“Happily,” he adds, “I am married to a design genius.” Though his spouse, Megan Mullally, is also acknowledged as a comedic virtuoso for characters like Will & Grace's spoiled socialite, Karen Walker, and Swanson's conniving ex-wife, Tammy, she doesn't fool around when it comes to home design. “We would literally be living in a log cabin if it were up to Nick,” says the actress, who spent nearly three years renovating and perfecting their new residence in Los Angeles along with her longtime interior designer, Ames Ingham, and the L.A. architecture firm iDGroup.

The 6,500-square-foot, two-story modern house, tucked in L.A.'s hills, is a lesson in balancing calm expanses with strategic blasts of color. “Megan and I are both drawn to big white gallery spaces where you can have lots of different textures and contrasts but still keep it very clean,” says Ingham. Here, hot hues like magenta and yellow on chairs and couches energize but don't overwhelm.

When they're home together, they usually spend most of their time upstairs, reading, doing jigsaw puzzles that they post on Twitter, and practicing songs from their upcoming show. “Since it's a two-story house, we kind of kitted it out to have its own little self-contained unit upstairs,” says Mullally. There's a kitchenette with a mini fridge and a TV room where Offerman, a longtime woodworker (his third book, Good Clean Fun, comes out this fall), has contributed to the décor by building a two-person desk. He also fabricated their slab dining table and four-poster bed.

His rugged touches offer a counterweight to Mullally's hand-tufted rugs and Christian Lacroix wallpaper—kind of like their relationship. “I'm more of the donkey in our marriage, and I'm happy,” he says. “I'll carry the luggage, and Megan can tell everybody that I'm gassy. As long as she lets me sleep in the bed, I'm down with it.”

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The Sitting Room

Martyn Thompson/Art Department

Mullally stands in front of a vast oil painting in the sitting room by contemporary artist Monique van Genderen. The chaise is from B&B Italia, the lamp Objet Insolite, and the credenza Therien Studio Workshop.

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The Living Room

Martyn Thompson/Art Department

"It's so quiet, and there are deer and lots of birds. It's almost like this is our vacation house," says Mullally. The living room features vintage '70s ergonomic armchairs by Norwegian designer Terje Ekstrøm, a hot pink rug from ABC Carpet & Home, and a bronze and glass table by Fran Taubman.

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The Bathroom

Martyn Thompson/Art Department

After doing a play in London, Mullally was inspired to wallpaper her bathrooms. "I love the style and the mix of color and pattern in London," she says. She found this Christian Lacroix Mariposa design at L.A.'s Walnut Wallpaper.

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The Close Ups

Martyn Thompson/Art Department

Top left: Offerman built this walnut stool for a scene inThe Seer, a documentary he co-produced about author Wendell Berry. "The wood has been ravaged by termites, so it has a real art quality to it," he says.